The No. 10-ranked Trojans had the bye week to work past their first loss of the season, address the tackling issues that emerged against Utah and refocus on the second half of the schedule.
And what better opportunity to build some fresh momentum than against one of the worst defensive teams in the country.
USC (6-1, 4-1 Pac-12) is a 14-point favorite on the road at Arizona (3-4, 1-3), which got its only conference win hapless Colorado while losing by double-digits to Cal, Oregon and Washington.
Beyond that, the Trojans have been eager to get back on the field and respond to that stinging last-minute loss in Salt Lake City. Coach Lincoln Riley said his team was "disappointed but not defeated" coming off that game and through the bye week.
"It was a hungry locker room after that. They would have gone out and played another game right then if we had had it our way. That's what we would have loved to have done. I think the key in all this is you can have all that and the immediate emotions after, like do you maintain that hunger, that fight, that desire to go get better and go become what we can become?" he said. "Do you maintain that? Is it just a heat of the moment emotion or is it something real that's much bigger? And that's been our challenge. Obviously, we had two weeks, which is a long two weeks. It's been good. We've practiced well. We had a good bye week. We've had a good week of prep. We're eager to go play. This game can't get here soon enough."
With that, let's get into the weekly staff roundtable debate/discussion as we deliver our perspective and predictions for the game.
How much of a threat is Arizona to USC this week?
Ryan Young: "I've heard a surprising amount of chatter within the USC fan base, on social media and elsewhere, that this could be a sneaky challenge for the Trojans. I don't buy it. Yes, Arizona can throw the ball around and it will score its points Saturday, but the Wildcats' defense is a sieve, ranking 118th in the country while giving up 454.1 yards per game. Take away the Colorado game -- because Colorado is not a Pac-12-caliber team at the moment -- and in Arizona's three other conference games so far it has allowed 599, 580 and 595 yards. The Wildcats let Cal run for 354, Oregon had 306 rushing yards and FCS-level North Dakota State ran for 283 on them. Caleb Williams, Travis Dye and Co. should feast Saturday. Arizona has a solid quarterback and some very nice receivers, but it is not going to win a shootout with the Trojans."
Tajwar Khandaker: "Plain and simple, USC should win this game handily. The Wildcats are a feisty and exciting team, particularly on offense, but the Trojans should be well equipped to put them away. This Arizona team should be viewed as a dangerous opponent certainly capable of pushing USC, but USC’s offensive prowess and growth on defense should be enough to keep the Wildcats at bay. Consider them a small step below Washington State as far as the threat they pose."
Jeff McCulloch: "I don’t think Arizona is really a threat to USC this week. With Eric Gentry most likely being out, this linebacker group will be tested as Shane Lee and Ralen Goforth are not the best coverage linebackers. They can stuff the run game no problem, but with Arizona having one of the best wide receiver rooms in the Pac-12, they will throw the ball is my prediction. But on the offensive side, the Trojans can do anything against this bad defense. USC can run all over them and can pass all over them if needed. This is the definition of a bad defense going against a really good offense. Caleb Williams should be able to score at will."
How will Jordan Addison's injury impact USC's other receivers?
Tajwar: "Though Addison might still play on Saturday, I’m inclined to believe the team will give him the chance to rest another week. Needless to say, Addison’s absence reshapes the depth chart and will provide significant opportunities for players who’ve seen fewer targets previously to make an impression. At the top of the rotation, Mario Williams is likely to pick up most of the slack as USC’s top receiver for the time being. He can create at multiple levels of the field much like Addison, and he’ll likely see more work outside in addition to his duties from the slot. Tahj Washington has been consistently impressive in his opportunities thus far, and he’s likely earned a significant role upgrade following Addison’s injury. He’ll likely handle a lot more of the work in the slot as Williams takes on more snaps from the outside. As far as the rest of the group, I wouldn’t be surprised to see considerably more rotation than the Trojans have featured previously as they seek to identify who the dependable playmakers at the position are. Brenden Rice has been somewhat disappointing as a starter to this point, and he’ll likely see many of his snaps alternated with Kyron Hudson, another big-bodied presence out wide. Terrell Bynum will likely be next up for a snap/target increase, followed by the likes of Michael Jackson III, C.J. Williams, and Kyle Ford."
Ryan: "Lincoln Riley wouldn't rule Addison out for this week when he last spoke to reporters on Thursday, but there's no need to rush him back for this game. Without Addison, Mario Williams gets to prove he's plenty capable of being a true No. 1 receiver -- of which there really isn't much doubt. He's been heating up in recent weeks as is, with 4 catches for 82 yards and 2 scores vs. Washington State and 4 catches for 145 yards against Utah. If he can tighten up on the drops and maximize his targets, he can absolutely be the difference-maker in any game he plays. Caleb Williams talked this week about seeing Mario Williams' confidence grow in his second year in Riley's offense, and it might actually benefit the Trojans long-term for Addison to miss a game like this where Mario Williams can continue asserting himself as the five-star talent he is. Beyond him, this game should be a great opportunity to throw some more targets in the direction of Kyron Hudson, Michael Jackson III, Brenden Rice, Kyle Ford and Terrell Bynum now that he's healthy. I agree Rice has not capitalized on his chances so far, but I'm not ready to give up on his potential. Speaking of building confidence, it wouldn't hurt to try to get Rice going in this game to give him a spark heading into the final stretch of the season. But Hudson is the guy I most want to see get an extended look. He's impressed me every chance he's gotten going back to the spring."